Association of a piece of fabric with a sheet of PVC

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for making articles comprising an association, in a generally flat state, of a material having an entangled or interlaced texture, particularly a woven material or other fabric, the cut edges of which may per se unravel or undo or tend to unravel or undo, with a sheet of plastic material, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), which is a macromolecular material lending itself to be cut and to present a clean edge . . . without any risk of unravelling or undoing.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a process of making a composite article comprising a layer of fabric and a superposed layer of thermoplastic material, the combination of steps of: cutting only said fabric to predetermined shape by cutting said fabric along an outer periphery and also along an inner periphery defining an opening in the fabric,   placing on one side only of said fabric a sheet of said plastic material which completely covers said fabric and extends beyond all peripheral edges of said fabric,   welding said plastic sheet to said fabric along a first weld line inwardly of the outer periphery of said fabric and along a second weld line adjacent but outwardly of said inner periphery of the fabric,   cutting said plastic sheet along a first line inwardly of said first weld line and along a second line outwardly of said second weld line,   removing that portion of said plastic sheet between said first and second cutting lines, and   cutting said plastic sheet along a line outwardly of the outer periphery of said fabric to sever a marginal portion of said plastic sheet, and removing the severed marginal portion of said plastic sheet.   
     
     
       2. A process according to claim 1, in which said first weld line is spaced inwardly from the outer periphery of said fabric. 
     
     
       3. A process according to claim 1, in which said welding along said first and second weld lines and said cutting along said first and second cutting lines are done in a single operation.